Pasta alla Norma (Italian: [ˈ pasta alla ˈ n ɔ rma], additionally called pasta disadvantage le melanzane (lit. & thinsp;'pasta with eggplant'), is a pasta dish made from eggplant. It is regular of Sicilian food, from Catania particularly. It is constructed from penne or other pasta with tomato sauce, covered with slices of fried eggplant and served with grated ricotta salata cheese and frequently basil. It was named in honor of a citizen of Catania, Vincenzo Bellini, the composer of the opera Norma. It is said that the Italian author Nino Martoglio said loudly "This is an actual 'Norma'!", meaning a masterpiece, when he tasted the meal, although the name is not testified up until years after his death. Pasta alla Norma was called "dish of the year" by the Little Bit Tourism Award in 2018.
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